


Trapped Together & Becoming Human

by Frankensteins_Monster



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Frottage, Frotting, Hate to Love, M/M, Seke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:41:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25698241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frankensteins_Monster/pseuds/Frankensteins_Monster
Summary: Double trouble - two fics in one. Rather fitting, don’t you think? Chapter one (Trapped Together) can be read as a standalone, and the rest of the chapters (Becoming Human) are a continuation of the story.What does it mean to be human? This is a character study where Ben and Albedo are trapped together in a pocket dimension and learn a little more about each other.
Relationships: Albedo & Ben Tennyson, Albedo/Ben Tennyson, Kevin Levin/Gwen Tennyson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	1. Trapped Together

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has no sex in chapter one… but tons of references to it/characters talking about explicit concepts. While it will include eventual smut (see tags), this is more for the sake of exploring the psyche of the characters and their relationship rather than just smut for smut’s sake. I will also put a 'smut warning' in the notes above individual chapters containing such content. This takes place around a few years after the events of Ultimate Alien. Albedo’s alien powers only come from the Omnitrix, no innate powers (except his natural super-intelligence obviously), they both retained their Omnitrixes and no longer use their Ultimatrixes. Also Ben 10 Omniverse and everything related to it is completely null and void in this fic (lol yes it’s stuck in the null void), it didn’t happen and it’s never ever going to happen. This fic takes the series in a completely different direction. Also no Julie (I guess she’s also stuck in the null void lol). Please enjoy.

Ben sat up, the course sand dripping from his hair. He was on a beach? A beach that stretched out far and wide as the eye can see. There were no people, no cars, no houses except for one. He walked the beach, first up, then down, only to find himself both times back where he started. This world was small. After exploring his limited surroundings, there was nothing left to do but explore the house. He opened the door, and saw Albedo.

“What are you doing here? Did you do this?” Ben called out angrily. He had the feeling something was very wrong, and here he was.

Albedo sighed, clearly irritated. “I didn’t do this. Don’t you remember?”

“I don’t remember anything.”

“That’s very convenient, since it was you who trapped us here! I was nearing the completion of a working teleporter, and you tripped and fell onto the controls whilst in the form of a Vaxasaurian. Or in your terminology… Humungasaur.” Albedo said with a sneer.

“I did? Why should I believe you?”

“Because, Ben Tennyson, I am anything but a fool. And we will both die here.”

Ben swallowed nervously. “But Gwen, and Kevin…”

“Have no power here.” Albedo interrupted. “We are trapped outside of space and time, so far away from the very concept that there is no one, not Azmuth, not Vilgax, nor myself who could locate us.”

“Why is this place a beach?” Ben asked.

“It is not.” Albedo responded, fervently looking out into his surroundings. “it is true nothingness, but your puny mind simply cannot interpret such an existence.”

“I see.” Ben said, only partially understanding.

“Then you’re smarter than you look.”

“You’re saying I look like an idiot?” Ben asked, good humouredly.

“I’m saying you look human.” Albedo said.

“I suppose to someone as inhuman as you…” Ben cut himself off. “I mean, I didn’t mean to call you inhuman…”

“I am inhuman. You seem to assume I would take that as an insult.”

“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?” Ben asked facetiously. “As you’ve already told me, you’re a stinky, sweaty, hairy, hungry, human.”

Albedo groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

“You are human, Albedo. As much as you might deny it, hate it or try to reverse it… you just are.”

“And that’s all your fault!”

“Maybe you should stop worrying about whose fault it is, and start figuring out how you’re going to live with it? Maybe even how we’re going to live through this.”

“How to live? With a condition such as this? I would rather die!”

“That’s not true though, is it? You pretend to be so prideful, so above it all. But at the end of the day you are not so… delicate.”

Albedo regarded Ben, the only other real existence in this void, for the first time with some understanding.

“That is true. I am not so delicate.”

Ben smiled encouragingly.

“Continuing to live despite this human body… I have experienced endless humiliation.”

“Consuming copious amounts of disgusting human food, the later excretion of said food, the constant self-stimulation…”

“Ugh, stop, TMI, ewww!”

“Isn’t that the point? You just told me that was a part of being human, a part that I have to accept and live with. Does that not apply to you as well?”

“Human beings have a rule Albedo, we do not talk about our self-stimulation! Or excretions… but especially not about self-stimulation!”

“That’s not true, I’ve seen it on the television! All you humans talk about is excretion and self-stimulation.”

“Ughh. Shut up! Just shut up! It’s weird hearing that stuff coming out of my own body!”

“How much hair are humans supposed to have around their groins?”

“Why are you so insistent on talking about this?”

“It seems to annoy you, and that makes me exceptionally happy.”

“…”

“It’s such a… strange way of being. Galvan lay and fertilise eggs to reproduce, and these urges… they’re not the same at all.”

“I actually kind of get what you mean. A few years ago I took the form of a Big Chill, and wasn’t able to turn back. I ended up laying eggs, and well… it really was totally different.”

“We Galvan are nothing like Necrofriggians! How dare you compare us to such a low intelligence pest species!”

“Oh lighten up.”

“But being human, the reproductive sensation, I think I like it, but I also hate that I like it. It’s… it’s like chilli fries!”

“Ha!” Ben laughed. “Well you do have a very complicated relationship with chilli fries.”

“But man, you’re overthinking it.” Ben continued.

“Overthinking it? How is it possible to overthink something? This is why the human race is…”

“Yeah yeah, we’re a backwards species and all that jazz. But I’m not talking about that. All you’ve got to know about being human, is that sometimes you’ve got to shut up and listen to yourself.”

“Listen to myself? How on earth could I do that if I…”

Ben stepped forward and put his fingers against Albedo’s neck.

“What are you? Why are you touching me?”

Ben steps back again. “I was feeling your pulse.”

“Oh… is that so?” Albedo rubbed his neck where Ben had touched it, only just remembering that was a point from which you could take a human pulse. Perhaps the idea should have occurred to him sooner.

“It’s pretty fast.”

“Am I unwell?” Albedo asked, voice tinged with genuine fear.

“You’re fine. As I said, you were just overthinking things.”

“When you think too hard about the stuff you can’t control, it makes you stressed. When you get stressed you release a chemical called adrenaline which speeds up your heartbeat. It’s pretty simple, really.”

“I see.” Albedo said. “So the human defect is physical.”

Ben sighed gently. “You’ve been so caught up in yourself as an ‘intellectual being’, that you have no idea how to… otherwise be, do you?”

“I would bet that it’s not just the ‘Human condition’ that you don’t understand, but the ‘Galvan condition’ as well.”

And Albedo looked… well Ben figured it was the closest to sad he’d ever looked.

“This obsession of yours… it’s not really about returning to Galvan form, is it?” Ben said this more than he asked it. “It’s because you feel lost, alone, outcast even amongst a sea of your own kind, no matter what species your kind may now be. Because it’s not them… it’s you who doesn’t understand.”

“That’s why you wanted the Omnitrix so badly in the first place, isn’t it? Maybe you did want it as a weapon, maybe you did want to conquer and rule. But you felt that way because you felt alone. In a way, you wanted a chance to change who you are… didn’t you? And now you’re stuck as part of a species you understand even less than the one you were before, so you desperately want to change back.”

Ben reached for Albedo’s hand, to hold it comfortingly. Albedo slapped it away. “Don’t… touch me, human.”

“You’re human too, Albedo. You have to accept that.”

Albedo’s gaze softened a little. As Ben reached for his hand it was not slapped away.

Ben squeezed it gently. “If we ever manage to get out of here, you’re going to the movies.”

“The movies?”

“You’re going to find it really confusing!” Ben laughed. “But it’ll be fun.”

“How are you going to make me go? To make me ‘have fun’?”

“I can go with you if you want, I suppose. I could invite Gwen and Kevin too…”

“I don’t want them to come.” Albedo said quietly.

They stood there in silence, hand in hand, for a while.

“Family. From a Galvan point of view, it’s also strange.”

“You don’t have a family?”

“We’re born from the egg already self-sufficient, so we don’t need a family unit to survive. We immediately turn to more important things.”

“And I’m guessing you didn’t really consider that so strange ‘til becoming human.”

“It’s true, I didn’t. But now I feel… strangely hollow.”

Ben looked over at Albedo’s face, his eyes were shining with tears, but none of them fell.

He put his arms around him and pulled him into a hug.

Hesitantly Albedo put his arms around Ben and returned the hug.

“Since you’re now my clone… I’d say that technically makes us family.” Ben said kindly.

They stayed like that for a while, until Ben felt something poke him in the leg.

“Ok! That’s enough of that.” Ben let go, but Albedo continued to hold him tightly.”

“I don’t understand this… why is this happening to me?”

“No… it’s not… it’s normal ok, just let me go please.”

Ben started to struggle a little. Albedo quickly turned pink and shuddered, he broke his grip, looking somewhat horrified with himself. He sank to the floor.

“There’s something wrong with me… there’s something wrong with this body. Maybe my Omnitrix is more broken than I thought!”

He started to cry, properly this time, tears silently rolling down his face.

Ben cautiously squatted next to Albedo on the floor.

“Look man… I’m not going to say I fully understand what that was. Or maybe I just don’t want to… But I can say with certainty that you’re alright.”

“I think that you’re just getting mixed up in all these human things you’re not yet used to. Feelings, emotions, urges…” He caught Albedo’s eye.

They both leaned in a little, close enough to feel each other’s breath.

Then they kissed. Gently, clumsily, the way of two people who have never been kissed before.

Ben pulled away and swallowed nervously. “I don’t know what this is… I don’t know why I feel this too.”

“Perhaps you are overthinking it.” Albedo inquired softly.

They both leaned in again.

They kissed for a while before they broke apart, exploring, feeling and connecting with each other.

“You’re actually quite intelligent, Ben Tennyson. In the strangest kind of way.”

“Thanks.” Ben said.

“If anyone could think of a way out of here, perhaps it may actually be you.”

“I’m not likely to be of any real help, since after all, I appear to be losing my mind.” Albedo added.

Ben sat bolt upright. “Losing your mind? Albedo, you are a genius.” He leaned over and gave Albedo a surprisingly passionate kiss.

“???What???” Albedo asked, about as confused as it is possible to be.

“If we’re trapped outside of space and time, we just need to get in contact with Professor Paradox.”

“Professor Paradox?” Albedo asked.

“Over here!” The Professor called out, suddenly materialising into view. “I was going to reach out to you sooner… but given the… uh… circumstances I thought it might be best to leave you be for a while.”

“Umm… Professor… well… if you could do me a favour, and…” Ben rambled nervously.

“And never mention this little occurrence to anyone?”

“Yes, that, please, Professor.”

Albedo ignored their conversation, but raised a curious eyebrow. “Tennyson, who is this man?”

“Uhh, He’s Professor Paradox.”

“What I mean is, how did he manage to locate us, and how does he appear able to travel freely through time and space without any kind of assisting device?”

He stood up and walked over to the Professor, his eyes curiously looking over the professor, apparently disbelieving his own senses.

His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets with surprise when the Professor completely disappeared from where he had been standing, and tapped him on the shoulder, now standing behind him.

Albedo’s mouth now hung open as he quickly turned around. He stumbled and ran to Ben, grabbing his arm.

“Get your Omnitrix ready, now!”

“Calm down, boy. I am not going to hurt you.”

“You’re breaking the laws of physics, so I’m hardly inclined to trust you!”

“But are you not also breaking the laws of physics? You are standing where there is nowhere to stand, supported by nothing, yet do you not feel it solid beneath your feet?”

Albedo stared at him suspiciously, but without any possible retort.

“You, boy, have a lot to learn.”

Albedo flushed bright red in embarrassment and anger. He reached for his own Omnitrix, but Ben grabbed his wrists.

“Don’t. Just don’t.”

Albedo struggled against Ben to reach for his Omnitrix.

“Could you please take us home, now?” Ben inquired politely.

“Why certainly.” The Professor responded, and snapped his fingers.

Suddenly they were back in Albedo’s warehouse, next to the broken remains of the teleporter.

Gwen was astral projecting, but Kevin put a hand on her shoulder and she snapped out of it.

“They’re back.” He said.

Ben and Albedo were standing in front of them. Ben was still holding Albedo’s wrists, although less tightly than before.

“Come on, let’s go, Ben.” Kevin said. And both Kevin and Gwen waited for him to leave with them.

Ben let go of Albedo.

Albedo’s face dropped, he looked betrayed. But he said nothing.

Before leaving, Ben looked quickly to Albedo and saw his expression.

“…I can’t.”

“What do you mean, you can’t?” Gwen asked.

“I can’t just leave Albedo here alone.”

“What do you mean you can’t?” Kevin joined in.

“I…” Ben stuttered, with no idea how he was going to complete the sentence.

“Have found a new recruit.” Albedo completed it for him.

Now it was Kevin and Gwen’s turn to look shocked.

“But…” Kevin started…

“We can’t trust you!” Gwen continued.

“Yeah, you can.” Said Ben. “It was... well... longer for us in that void than it would have seemed to you. We had time to work things out.”

“How long?” Kevin asked, suspiciously.

Ben swallowed nervously. “Long enough.”

But Kevin and Gwen still lingered.

“It’s alright, I trust him. You guys can go.”

“I… If you say so, Ben.” Gwen said, and Kevin shrugged.

Kevin and Gwen drove away, but Ben immediately got a text, which he promptly ignored.

“So… what are we going to do?” Asked Ben.

“We could go and see that ‘movie’ you were talking about.” Albedo said. “But we’re probably both going to want a shower first, so we can stop by my apartment if you’d like.”

“You have your own apartment?” Ben asked, both impressed and a little jealous.

“I patented a few machines and sold the designs.”

“What kind of…”

“Not weapons.” Albedo said quickly. “Have you seen the ads for the new electric toothbrush, Clean Machine?”

“Pfft.” Ben laughed. “A toothbrush?”

“I don’t see what’s so funny about dental hygiene.”

Albedo considered grabbing the new plasmotic disintegrator he had just sold the patent to, but decided it would definitely get him caught in his lying and thought better of it.  


Instead he grabbed Ben’s hand. “Come on, it’s not far.”


	2. Becoming Human Part 1 - To Beg Forgiveness

Albedo now sat before Azmuth. This was the moment he had been dreading.

“So, you have finally accepted your new human form.”

Albedo gritted his teeth. “Yes”

“And you have come to me today to seek forgiveness for your transgressions.”

“Yes.”

“And you wish to be allowed to work with Ben Tennyson, as a part of his team.”

“I do.”

“I just have one question left to ask you. Why?” Asked Azmuth.

“Why did I come to this decision, or why should you trust me?”

“Both, although the answer to one may prove answer to the other.”

Albedo swallowed nervously. “Ben showed me that it’s not so terrible to be a human, I suppose.”

“That’s it?”

“It is.”

“That’s what brought about this change of heart?”

“Yes.”

“…what is it like… to turn from a Galvan… to a mere human. And why would you possibly want to settle for-”

“You wouldn’t understand, Azmuth.” Albedo said proudly. “You actually wouldn’t understand.”

“Just as I expected.” Azmuth said a little disappointedly.

He then narrowed his eyes. “What exactly did Ben show you… that made you decide that your fate was not so terrible?”

Albedo turned a little red. “Uhh… umm… a movie. He showed me a movie.”

“These movies you speak of must really be something.” Azmuth marvelled.

“Haha… yes, they are.”

“…I believe I will allow this, for now.”

“You will?”

“For now. You make one mistake however, and-”

“I won’t make any mistakes Azmuth.”

“There it is again, your ridiculous ego!”

Albedo’s mouth opened in protest. “It isn’t… this isn’t about…”

“It’s always been about you and your ego, everything is. You don’t know any other way to function, Albedo.”

Quietly, Albedo started to cry. Tears running down his face.

“You are crying?” Azmuth said, disbelievingly. “Albedo, you are embarrassing yourself.”

Albedo wiped away his tears, but more trickled down to replace them. “I can’t stop.”

“I don’t know how to convince you that I’m genuine. I don’t know how to explain to you what’s very clear to me. I’m afraid, Azmuth, I’m afraid!”

Azmuth looked at his former assistant with a kind of pitying disgust.

“I know that look. I’ve regressed into a human and you know it as well as I. It is a pervasive disease, one that fills you up and drowns all sense of reason and rationale. It fills your head with nonsense, like a million truths from a million realities with different rules. This idea of a ‘heart’ makes sense to me now! This strange, metaphysical idea that they tie to the very pulse of life itself. Such things as I never understood before.”

“I know you think I’ve lost my mind, I’m afraid that I have as well.”

“Not necessarily.” Azmuth said.

“I created the Omnitrix for this very reason, to explore the very meaning of what it is to be, and how that differs for creatures across the galaxy. Although I never intended for it to bring about a permanent change.”

“Such a thing, I suppose it is the purpose of my experiment brought to its final, its ultimate conclusion. Knowledge and understanding I had truly believed unattainable… that is what I believe you, in your selfish and blundering ways, have somehow managed to bring upon yourself.”

“I am sorry, Albedo. And yet I envy you.”


	3. Becoming Human Part 2 - Alone Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning for this chapter.

“Hey, could I try staying at your apartment for a while?” Ben asked.

Albedo was surprised. “It’s fine with me, but why would you want to live at my apartment?”

“All this hero work I do, my parents tolerate it, but it scares them. So they’ve given me a pretty strict curfew. And I figure at this point I’m old enough to move out anyway, right?”

“And this way we could also spend more time together.” Ben added nervously.

Finally they were alone together once again, but this time of their own volition. Ben noticed that Albedo only had one bed and one bedroom, but he supposed he didn’t mind. He didn’t really know what to feel, but at this point he was just going with it. He wasn’t going to question the obvious, that Albedo was a man, or that Albedo looked just like himself. Because there was something under the surface that he had caught a glimpse of during their time in the void, something both wickedly brilliant and extraordinarily vulnerable that he found blindingly attractive. Magnetic even. He couldn’t begin to explain why. He also briefly wondered if this was a narcissism kink, but quickly decided not to think too deeply about that either. Maybe it was, he was too into it to care.

So when Albedo returned to the room he was greeted with a kiss, one that was quickly reciprocated.

They were gentle with each other as they approached the bed.

They took off each other’s clothes, piece by piece, stopping on occasion to sink back into a kiss.

It was strange, looking at Albedo’s naked body which was so like his own. Except that all the hair on it was white. It was pretty, the thought certainly passed through his head that Albedo could possibly pass for a girl if he wore a skirt. He then wondered if that applied to him as well… but Albedo had white hair, so that must be what makes the difference... it must be.

He held his penis in one hand and started slowly stroking it. As he did so he reached over to Albedo’s with his other hand and did the same.

Albedo moaned a little as Ben inched closer and pressed their members together so he could stroke both at once with one hand. Albedo leaned in for another kiss.

It was only a few minutes until they both came, neither having much stamina or self-restraint.

“I definitely like this.” Albedo muttered against Ben’s chest.

“You don’t sound too thrilled about that.” Ben noted.

“I still don’t entirely know how I feel, about the fact that I like you.”

“The fact that you… like me?” Ben asked happily.

“Shut up, idiot.” Albedo joked, although the joking was a little hard to discern.

“I think I might like you too.”

“You think you might like me?”

“I think so…”

“Well remind me to wake you up with a good hard kick to the shins tomorrow. I’d aim higher but you might still need those.”

“What, why?”

“I say I like you, you say you think you like me? Phrasing it as an uncertainty is just a dick move.”

“So what should I say?”

“Just say you like me, we both know it’s the truth.”

“I like you.”

“That’s better.”

Gwen and Kevin sat in their car, parked in front of Albedo’s apartment. It didn’t look like Ben was going to be leaving anytime soon, and it was already pretty late.

“Shacking up with your own clone. Major weird, Ben. Major weird.” Kevin said.

“They didn’t.” Gwen insisted.

Kevin cleared his throat, clearly unconvinced.

“They couldn’t.”

“Ben did say that they were stuck there ‘for a long time’.”

“…”

“Look, I know what some guys will do in prison.”

“Did you?” Gwen asked sharply.

“Me? No, no I would never! But some-”

“Then Ben didn’t either.” Gwen said before Kevin could finish.


	4. Becoming Human Part 3 - Gwen and Kevin

Things were peaceful in the town of Bellwood. “I guess a lot of our recent trouble streak was just coming from you.” Gwen said to Albedo as they and Kevin sat in Ben’s car, staking out what they all had a hunch may just be a regular Mr Smoothy.

“Honestly, joining us may be your best plan yet. You’re going to put us out of business!”

“Are you even listening to me?”

“I’m not here for you. I don’t care about your opinions.” Albedo said, in a tone that implied he genuinely didn’t care.

Gwen bit her lip, this was just another bit of evidence pointing to the fact that Kevin was right about what had happened in that void. But she didn’t want to think about that. She didn’t really hate Albedo (although she didn’t love the idea that Ben could be with someone capable of doing the things Albedo had done, and then there was also the whole clone thing, which did actually concern her a little), what she really hated was the idea that Ben was running around and keeping secrets from her. He hadn’t done that in years, they were so close now and that had made her so happy. She didn’t miss their old relationship of constant fighting at all. She looked at Kevin, whose slightly smug know-it-all expression was somehow just as endearing as it was annoying. At least he wouldn’t hide anything from her. He had told her everything that had happened to him, even about his very lowest moment. She reached out and gripped Kevin’s hand in hers, intertwining their fingers and squeezing tightly.

Albedo's eyes briefly flickered over to their interlocked hands, before he quickly looked away again. He knew what that meant.

And in that moment both Gwen and Kevin knew he knew what that meant.

But no one said a thing.

When Ben came back to the car with his smoothie, you could have cut the air with a knife.

“I knew this wasn’t a real stakeout.” Kevin muttered.

“Come on guys! I got you all one too.” Ben said, offering out a tray of smoothies.

“Ben, you know no one else likes those smoothies, don’t you?” Gwen said.

“Do we really have to do this in the car?” Kevin asked, as Albedo reached out and grabbed his smoothie. “I do not want to have to reupholster the seats because someone dripped smoothie all over them!”

Just then he noticed Albedo take the smoothie. “Oh, look. It’s genetic.” He said, with genuine interest. “I guess I can’t entirely blame you for pizza night anymore.”

“Pizza night?” Albedo asked.

“He ordered five pizzas with pineapple and jalapenos on them. No one else could stand to eat them, and they were supposed to be for everybody!”

Albedo audibly swallowed his drool.

“Hah! You like the sound of that too, huh?”

“It’s human food, all human food is disgusting.” Albedo said while slurping his smoothie.

“You know it’s still weird, but I think I almost get it, man.” Kevin said to Ben.

Everybody froze and Ben choked on his smoothie.

*Cough cough* “Get what?”

“Uhh, this.” Kevin said pointing between Ben and Albedo. “This.”

Everyone froze… except for Albedo.

“What’s this?” Albedo asked, miming the same finger movement Kevin made.

“Can I ask you a question, Albedo?” Kevin asked.

“Al…right.” Albedo said, sounding confused.

“Last night, did you and Ben sleep in the same bed?”

“Yes.” Albedo responded. “Why-“ He begun to ask, but trailed off when he noticed everyone staring down a flustered and guilty looking Ben.

“What’s going on? Is something wrong?”

“That was a trick question, Albedo!” Ben cried out in frustration.

Kevin grinned playfully. Albedo ground his teeth in annoyance. How could this ape of a man trick him? Although he honestly still didn’t understand what he’d done.

“So it’s true Ben?” Gwen asked.

Ben hung his head. “Yeah.”

“Oh, Ben.” Gwen said, reaching out to her cousin and giving him a hug.

Albedo’s eyes widened. “What are you doing? Get off of him!”

“Uhhh, you really don’t need to worry, she’s his cousin.” Kevin explained.

“I’m his clone!” Albedo retorted.

“I… don’t really know what to say to that. Other than that you still really don’t need to worry.”

“Although maybe we should have a talk about the whole clone thing.” Kevin said.

“Yeah… I think so too.” Said Gwen.

“But do we even really look that much alike?” Ben said, clearly reaching.

“Yep.” Said Kevin.

“Yeah.” Said Gwen.

“Yes.” Said Albedo.

“I don’t know what to tell you.” Ben said. “Because I know what conclusion you’re going to come to.”

“It’s either going to be to change his DNA, which we already know is impossible. Or to stop doing what we’re doing, which I’m not going to agree to. He’s not actually related to me, he’s an alien from another planet for goodness sakes!”

“And I don’t care what you say. Albedo really doesn’t look that much like me. For one thing, I’m not that feminine!”

“I don’t look feminine!” Albedo exclaimed, outraged.

“To be honest, Ben, you do look kind of feminine.” Gwen said, as kindly as she could.

Albedo opened his mouth to continue complaining. He was most certainly not feminine! But Kevin held his finger to his lips in the sign to keep quiet. He knew that one.

“Do not shush me, ape man!”

“See? He’s adorable!” Ben exclaimed, and Albedo turned pink up to the ears.

Gwen and Kevin exchanged looks, neither of them found anything Albedo just did to be particularly ‘adorable’.

As they were driving home in silence, Ben mentioned. “Since you already know… all there is to know. Uhhh… you can drop me off at Albedo’s place. Because I’ve kinda… moved in.”


	5. Becoming Human Part 4 - A Challenging Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning for this chapter.

“This feel strange.” Albedo said as Ben wiggled a finger inside of him.

“I thought all of this felt strange to you.” Ben teased.

“Well this feels strang-ER!” Albedo moaned irritably.

“Ok, stop. Stop.” Albedo said insistently.

Ben stopped. “Did… it hurt?” He asked nervously.

“It didn’t hurt, I just wasn’t having fun. And I can think of something a lot more fun we could be doing right now.” Albedo said impatiently, flipping around so he was on top of Ben. He stroked his penis against Ben’s in long, slow thrusts.

Albedo leaned down for a kiss as he continued to thrust, feeling Ben moan softly into his mouth.

“Oh yes, this is much more fun.” Albedo whispered in Ben’s ear, before biting down softly on the outer shell.

Ben yelped. “What was that for?”

“Just going with the mood.” Albedo said breathily.

“I’m instituting a new rule, no biting!” Ben said.

“Fine.” Albedo said, bringing a hand down to stroke them both at once.

He moved it slowly at first, but quickened the pace dramatically until they both cried out in ecstasy, and then he rolled over to lie next to Ben.

“You’ve really taken to this.” Said Ben.

“I have.” Said Albedo. “You know that thing you said when we were trapped outside of space and time really stuck with me.”

“Which thing?”

“About viewing myself as a purely intellectual being, about being alone no matter what species I’m a part of.” Albedo continued. “I think that becoming human… it’s the first time I’ve been able to put these pieces together, and ask myself why I cared so much about the Omnitrix. And why I really wanted it so badly.”

“Yeah?”

“I think I was looking for something I couldn’t name and didn’t fully understand. I was looking for some kind of meaning in my life. And at the time, I guess I mistook that for the meaning of life.” “Ha.” Albedo laughed darkly. “Azmuth always liked to tell me I was egocentric, but now I’m starting to wonder if he was right.”

“Now I realise I was looking for a connection, a connection to power, a connection to the universe through a greater understanding… I guess I already had those things after I got my hands on the Omnitrix, but it still wasn’t enough for me. I saw this human body as a weakness. In my own eyes it made me an alien to all I had worked for. And stranded me, alone in a foreign world.”

“But this connection I’ve built with you… somehow it matters to me. I no longer want to prove my worth through conquest or through feats of intellect, to the nameless, faceless masses. Because in your eyes I have value, and somehow that’s enough for me... I didn’t think anything could be enough for me.”

Ben wrapped his arms around Albedo and held him close. “Thanks.” He said quietly.

“I actually felt kinda the same way. People know me as some sort of hero now… but no one really liked me before I got my hands on the Omnitrix. Except for Grandpa. Even Gwen and I didn’t really get along, and my parents were never that close to me. I didn’t have any friends at school, and at the time I was actually kind of okay with that. It was only after I started growing older that I started feeling lonely, and no one really seemed to stick around until I started getting famous. I guess with how much you hated me, and how little you cared about my fame, it really meant something when you showed even the slightest bit of affection. It felt like I mattered, in a way that I’d never felt before.”

They both leaned in, brushing their noses against each other in anticipation of a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, I have nothing against anal. I just couldn't picture either of these two characters finding bottoming particularly enjoyable when I was writing this. They're both pretty inexperienced and rather impatient, after all.


	6. Becoming Human Part 5 - Sparring Practice

“You always pick brawn over brains!” Albedo called out irately, as Ben changed into Humungusaur.

“Yeah… well… Show me how it’s done then!”

Albedo selected an alien form, and transformed into Goop.

“Goop? Really?” Ben asked.

“As you said before... Let me show you how it’s done!” Albedo teased, now in a hilariously high-pitched voice.

Humungusaur swung about, trying to land a blow with his fists, feet or tail, but Goop simply wrapped around and immobilised him.

“A Polymorph is nearly indestructible, and has a near-infinite supply of independently prehensile and most importantly, regenerating limbs.”

Ben changed back. “But see, you keep saying near. He’s near indestructible with a near infinite supply of independently prehensile and more importantly, regenerating limbs.” He plucked Goop Albedo’s anti-gravity projector from the air, and he melted into a puddle.

“This thing here is why I always avoid turning into Goop! It’s ridiculously easy for a bad guy to just grab this and completely disable you. I’ve had it happen to me just way too many times now, not worth the risk.”

He tossed it back to Albedo, who promptly turned back, his face a little whiter than usual.

“It’s a little scary, isn’t it” Ben said.

“No… losing all ability to move one’s own body and being pinned helplessly to the floor by the weight of gravity feels just fine, thanks for asking!” Albedo retorted shakily. “I think I might pass on using Polymorphs for a time though, just in case.”

“That’s probably for the best, considering it’s also the easiest form from which to remove the Omnitrix.”

Albedo’s gaze softened, and his lips parted slightly.

“Speaking of which, you always focus too hard on winning the battle, rather than the war.” Ben added smugly.

“Battle? War? What war?” Albedo said, quickly returning to his former, curiously energetic self.

“It means you always focus on short-term outcomes rather than long-term outcomes. It’s the main reason you always lost to me. I always found it funny that someone so clever-”

“I see.” Albedo said, not letting Ben finish. “That’s a… good point.”

“It’s kinda neat to have someone to spar with who’s on equal footing, after all these years.” Ben added with a smile.

Albedo’s hand hovered over the Omnitrix, somewhat uncertainly. He brought it down, and turned into Spider Monkey. “Look! Over here! Ben! This time I thought I’d keep it within the family tree!”

“Ha!” Ben laughed. “That’s a pretty good one.”

“XLR8!”


	7. Becoming Human Part 6 - A Dangerous Secret

“Are you sleeping properly?” Ben asked, noticing the bags that had started to form under Albedo’s eyes.

Albedo’s eyes widened suspiciously. “Yes. Of course I have been… sleeping properly…” He broke into a yawn mid-sentence.

He stared at Ben’s disbelieving expression for a moment. “This proves nothing!” He said in a half-shout, before slinking away.

Ben was obviously going to follow him, clearly there was no other option. But he only got so far before he lost him in a crowd. But that was when he saw a suspicious figure, a man whose most identifying feature was the metal briefcase he was carrying. So instead he followed this man until he reached an alleyway, whereupon Ben decided to turn into Big Chill and go completely unseen.

Sure enough, Albedo was there. He exchanged something, some strange metal contraption for a vial of glowing liquid.

Ben felt sick to the pit of his stomach as for the first time since they were trapped together, he considered exactly how little he knew about Albedo.

As soon as the featureless man walked away, Ben was about to confront Albedo. But before he got the chance he saw his lover drip the liquid into his eyes.

Ben suddenly turned visible from the shock. “What… Albedo… What?” He asked fearfully, quickly turning back into himself.

“Is this?” Albedo finished Ben’s thought, without the slightest hint of concern, and blinked a secondary pair of eyelids.

“It is a change of plans.” Albedo said, and began to shrink.

Very soon before Ben’s eyes, a tiny Galvan stood, although this one with distinctive red eyes.

“Wh-why? I thought you had made up your mind, I thought that you were ok with being human!”

Albedo looked up at Ben sadly. “I forgot myself, Ben. That’s what I did. I let myself get swept up and carried away in you.”

Ben picked Albedo up, and Albedo let him.

“My species live for thousands of years…" Albedo continued. "So a life with you would be naught but a death sentence for me.” He said, gently squeezing the tip of Ben's forefinger with his own, tiny hand.

“You lied to me…”

“I wasn’t lying at the time.” He shook his head. “But not long ago, you casually told me about an easy way to remove your Omnitrix. I realised that the man I had come to love, and to truly admire, that the only human being on this earth with even half a brain was nothing but a fool.”

Albedo hopped down from Ben's palm, and looked up at him with a cold and angry gaze.

“You are a fool Ben Tennyson. And I was right before. You should never have been entrusted with the Omnitrix. It should have been someone else… it should have been me.” But Albedo said that, not with the jealous, angry tone he would have used before. This time he sounded like he was bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Ben placed Albedo back on the ground and stood up. “You want the Omnitrix so bad, Albedo? You take it. You take it and do anything you want with it, but don’t come back. Just... don’t let me see you again.” He removed the Omnitrix from his wrist of his own free will and tossed it onto the ground by Albedo. And then he just walked away.

Albedo picked up the discarded Omnitrix and held it. He watched Ben leave, with a mournful expression across his tiny face.


	8. Becoming Human Part 7 - Send in the Clowns

Ben ran with all of his might, he had made a mistake, a stupid mistake. He had taken off the Omnitrix. He was so used to being a hero that he thought he was untouchable, thought he was invincible. It was all coming back to bite him, literally. He dodged as Acid Breath tried to clamp his teeth down around his wrist.

As he escaped from Acid Breath, he found himself caught up in Frightwig’s hair.

“It’s been a while. How’s it hanging?” He asked, mockingly, as he hung upside-down. But inside he was fighting the urge to scream with frustration. When it all came down to it, he was nothing without the Omnitrix, it seemed.

Zombozo the Clown emerged from the shadows, and now he wanted to scream for an entirely different reason.

“We’ve been waiting Ben Tennyson, and biding our time. We knew we couldn’t beat you with that strange device, but now you’re just a boy.”

“Hey, I’m 19. I’m pretty sure that makes me just a man, already.” Ben teased, almost biting through his tongue when Frightwig smacked him hard against the wall.

Thumbskull’s twisted grin was the last thing he saw before his vision blacked out.

When Ben woke up, he was in a cage in a dark room. From the rumbling underneath the floor, he figured he was in the back of a truck. He had a bobby pin hidden in his hair, but he knew that even if he escaped the cage, there would be no escaping the truck. At least not while it was moving.

As his eyes adjusted to the light, he could see that the sides of the truck were plastered with images of clowns. He gripped his hands around the iron bars of the cage, until his knuckles turned white.

“Albedo was right, I am a fool.” He said out loud, lowering his head to look at the metal floor of his prison.

“I’m sure he’s off enjoying his new life. He’s got everything he’s ever wanted after all, and all he had to do was trample over me to get it.”

Albedo wasn’t sure what to do. He’d made his way back to his apartment and had used Ben’s Omnitrix to fix his own, but now had absolutely no idea what to do with himself.

Whenever he had felt this way previously he would talk with Ben, spar with Ben, or sleep with Ben. Now that he considered it, boredom hadn’t been the slightest problem since they had grown close to one another. Not even when they had been stuck outside of time and space.

Albedo tinkered halfheartedly with a time dilation ray he’d been inventing, inspired by that cursed creeper Professor Paradox. He’d just about finished it however, and there was only so much tightening the screws really needed.

He hopped down off the bench and walked over to the mirror, it was frightening how ill-at-ease he had felt since he changed back. He wondered if the mutative compound he had purchased had been sketchy, as they often tended to be. But the truth is, as soon as he fixed his Omnitrix, well, that simply should have fixed all those problems along with it.

Well, considering that the DNA sample the Omnitrix had used to restore him to a Galvan form was not his own, he wondered if the problem was simply that this was not his own body.

But when he laid his tiny hand on tall mirror, he knew what was wrong. His life was now too easy, too easy and too simple. As much as he hated the fact, he now had a human side. As a Galvan he consumed, he excreted, he pondered and he milted. Even when tinkering with his brilliantly original inventions, he now felt bored.

He missed sex, he missed chilli fries, he missed Ben. He missed the intellectual, physical, and emotional challenges of loving him. He missed his very own human body.

Suddenly thousands of years of this same ceaseless monotony stared him in the face. Even in his calmer Galvan form he felt a flicker of dread. He grabbed for his Omnitrix and swiped it randomly, so he would change into something else, anything else but this. He turned into a Florauna, a mess of vines writhing and seizing in anger and confusion. He turned into an Appolplexian, growling and shouting and gesturing wildly at his own reflection until he heard a thumping from upstairs and shrewdly changed again.

He changed into a Polymorph. He reached up and tapped the Anti-Gravity projector where it hung in the air. He felt his body ripple and shiver just a tiny bit from the impact. He remembered that training session. He remembered how much… fun… it had been. He remembered Ben’s stupid remark. And all of a sudden he considered, that perhaps it was not stupidity that had lead Ben to reveal such a big weakness. He touched the symbol of the Omnitrix where it rested on his own chest. “He trusted me… He trusted me and I betrayed him!” He cried out in a sudden voice of anguish. He grabbed hard at the Omnitrix and pulled on it, until it detached, slowly, from his body, and dropped it on the ground where it flashed purple and yellow.

“I know, that’s not how you’re supposed to work.” He told the steadily flashing Omnitrix. “But it’s not how I’m supposed to work either, so you’re just going to have to deal with it.” 

He left the apartment, still as Goop, and he left the remains of the Omnitrix helplessly flashing on the floor.


	9. Becoming Human Part 8 - Albedo's Big Mistake

“Albedo?” Gwen narrowed her eyes as she spotted him, as Goop, frantically moving about the streets.

“What the hell is he doing?” Kevin asked, as people ran away from the scene in droves.

“Let’s ask him.” She said determinedly, opening the car door.

“Albedo?” Gwen called out to him.

“Gwen, Kevin? Boy, am I glad to see you!”

Gwen and Kevin shared a look of confusion, Albedo never seemed glad to see them. 

“I’ve been looking for Ben, but no one seems willing to help me find him. They’re all hiding something, every one of them.”

“That or they’re just running from the slime monster, but what would I know.” Kevin said.

Albedo paused. “…my Omnitrix… has been having some malfunctions.”

“Now that you mention it, I don’t see it anywhere on you.” Gwen narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

“I don’t have time for that, I need to see Ben.”

Gwen and Kevin shared another look. “We don’t know where he is. To be honest we actually came here looking for him.” Said Gwen.

Albedo shook his head. “He’s not here, he wouldn’t be! We had a fight.”

Kevin put his hand on the bonnet of his car, absorbing the metal in preparation for a fight.

“It was not that kind of fight!” Albedo corrected him. “But it was bad… I need to apologise right now, or he’ll never want to see my face again.”

Gwen pulled a dog eared golden card from her pocket. “I can track his mana with this, just give me a moment.” Her eyes glowed as she used the card to track Ben’s whereabouts.

“Oh no! This is really bad.” She said, her forehead creasing with worry.

“Ben’s way out of town, and he’s moving really fast.”

“Hop in.” Kevin said opening the car doors and getting in himself. “But no Polymorphs in my car.”

Albedo ignored him and hopped in anyway.

“Urgh, come on!” Kevin moaned frustratedly.

“I already told you the Omnitrix is broken.”

Gwen was already in the passenger seat and fully focused on tracking Ben. “Let’s go already. Step on it!” She said.

Twenty minutes later.

“Kevin, drive faster. Or we- urggh!”

“You had better not throw up in this car!” Kevin yelled without looking towards the back seat.

Gwen turned around, Albedo appeared to be spasming, and glowing a little bit.

“Are you alright, are you carsick.”

“N-arugh!” Albedo made an indistinguishable noise of pain. He appeared to be boiling under the surface.

“Kevin, I think something’s really wrong with him.”

“Just… keep…” Albedo, mid-sentence, changed forms into Upchuck. “…driving.”

Kevin looked briefly into rear-view mirror. “You alright buddy?”

“I suppose it makes sense that transformations would be random and violent without the dial.” Albedo said, winded. “I’m such a fool!”

Kevin’s eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror again. “Wow, I think that’s the saddest Upchuck I’ve ever seen.”

They kept driving.

“Ben’s moving quickly, and he hasn’t stopped so far.” Gwen said, sounding worried. “Even if we do catch up to him, how’re we going to catch him?”

“Let’s focus on catching him for now.” Kevin said. “And worry about the rest later.”

They ended up following Ben all the way to an abandoned patch of farmland, supporting a big top the size of a stadium.

“What, did he run off and join the circus or something?” Kevin joked.

Gwen was pale. “No… Ben hates clowns. Hates them. Always has.”

“What’s a clown?” Albedo asked.

“Something tells me you’ll find out soon enough.” Kevin answered.

Kevin tore a hole in the canvas of the tent, and poked his head inside.

“Woah… there’s a lot of them.”

He widened the hole and they all stepped through.

There must have been at least a thousand clowns milling about, tall ones, short ones, thin ones, fat ones. Doing flips, and honking their big red noses. Laughing manically and cracking flaming whips. The stench of booze was chokingly strong.

“So that’s all clowns are, they’re just people?” Albedo asked, surprised.

“Yep.” Kevin said. “They’re only human.”

“I wouldn’t be so certain.” Gwen warned them. “Zombozo certainly didn't seem human.”

“Zombozo?” Kevin asked, reaching out for Gwen’s hand.

“Zom-“ Gwen gripped Kevin’s hand tightly when the loudspeakers in the tent echoed her own voice.

“Zombozo! Put your hands together and welcome him to the stage, everybody! Try not to die of laughter.”

“Urk. Stand back, I’m gonna be sick.” Albedo gasped through the cheers of the crowd. He spat a pile of acidic goo across the floor where it smouldered strangely. His skin also seemed to be starting to melt.

“Something’s really wrong with you, isn’t it?” Gwen asked, concernedly.

“Forget me, something’s really wrong with Ben!” Albedo said, pointing up at the stage.

Ben was tied to a giant wheel, on display for the entire audience, looking like he too was about to be very sick.

“How dare these foul-smelling, human freaks-“ Albedo managed to say before he melted into Upgrade.

“Uhhhgh.” He moaned from the floor. “Just let me rest here for a-“

A clown was stepping up, taking a knife offered by Zombozo, and aiming it at Ben as another clown was readying to spin the wheel. The wheel began spinning until Ben was just a blur.

Albedo stood up and reformed shakily. He ran through the crowd, roughly shoving clowns out of his way. He dived for the stage and the knife bounced harmlessly off his back.

“Ben 10?” Zombozo cried out fearfully. “But you're supposed to be…” He pointed at the wheel.

Albedo tore the ropes holding Ben in place and gently guided him to his feet. “I’m sorry.” He said. “I’m really, truly, sorry.”

He melted into a puddle, reformed and quickly melted again.

“What the hell was that?” Ben asked, alarmed.

“Broke-n Om-ni-trix.” Albedo said, sparking with electricity.

“Oh God, it really is broken, isn’t it?” Ben said, examining him. “Wait… the dial is missing!”

“What- What did you do?”

“No- time for-“ The sparks got bigger and his voice distorted.

Albedo changed into AmpFibian.

Ben’s eyes widened.

“Finally, something useful!” Albedo gasped. He sat up and floated into the air.

“Tch.” Zombozo dropped the giant mallet he had been preparing to bring down on the both of them.

Instead he focused on the strange mechanical vest he was wearing, and flipped a switch on it. It began to glow.

“Society of Clowns, lend me your power!” He yelled to the audience.

A raucous roar of laughter sounded from the audience of clowns.

“Ughh. So creepy.” Said Ben.

Zombozo levitated into the air, spinning slowly as he did so.

Albedo narrowed his eyes. “What is he doing?” He asked.

“He’s siphoning their power. From their laughter. Just think of him as an energy vampire.” Ben said.

“Well that’s easy enough to fix.” Albedo said. “Take care of yourself. I’ll be back soon.”

He floated across to the audience, and quickly swept through the crowd, shocking the laughing clowns as he went.

Gwen made a bridge across the chaos, grabbed Kevin’s hand and pulled him onto it. They ran to Zombozo and tried to take him out.

Albedo quickly took out all of the clowns in the audience, but when he tried to get back to Ben he fell to the ground. “Arghh!” He cried out as his body flashed with an incalculable number of galaxies.

“Ughh Arghhh!” He writhed on the floor like a rat in a trap.

A few small energy blast exploded in the air around him.

“Albedo!” he heard Ben cry out, as if very far away in the distance.

“Ugh!” He heard Ben cry out again, as if something had hit him very hard.

“Be-“ He tried to turn around. To face Ben. But all of a sudden he wasn’t there anymore.


	10. Becoming Human Part 9 - Alien X

“Where am I?” Albedo asked, staring up at the enormous faces towering over him, suspended in the midst of space.

“Why am I here, how can I breathe?”

He clenched his fists experimentally. “Why am I human again?”

“How rude!” One of the faces, a woman, proclaimed.

“He doesn’t even introduce himself, he just dives right in with the questions!” The other face exclaimed angrily.

“I am Serena.” The woman says. “I am the voice of love and compassion.”

“I am Bellicus.” The man says. “I am the voice of anger and aggression.”

“You are the voice of reason.” Serena said.

“We are a Celestialsapien.”

“A Celestialsapien…” Albedo whispered, chills travelling down his spine. “No… no… no… This can’t be a transformation into a Celestialsapien. I’ve transformed into a human, see?” He gestured with his rather human looking hands.

“You dare to call Serena a liar?” Bellicus bellowed angrily.

“Now, now, Bellicus. You cannot blame him, he simply doesn’t understand yet.”

Albedo wrapped his arms around himself. “She is right, I do not yet understand.”

Ben stood up on shaky legs, last thing he knew Zombozo had just hit him so hard he suspected he may have blacked out. Then Albedo was screaming in pain and he knew something was very wrong.

He looked to where Albedo had been. His bad feeling was right. Albedo was Alien X.

He turned to Gwen and Kevin, still fighting Zombozo. “You guys got this?” He asked. It was courtesy more than anything else, since there was nothing he could even do to help.

“Yeah. We got this!” Gwen said.

“Go ahead.” Said Kevin, holding a clown by the collar and aiming a fist at his big, red nose.

Ben stepped down off the stage and ran towards Alien X. He checked for a dial, but once again there was none.

“Albedo. I know you can’t hear me. But please come back to me!”

“Please just let me go! I have to go back and save Ben!”

“And there is nothing else you want from us?” Serena asked.

“Nothing at all?” Bellicus chimed in.

Albedo’s widened eyes shined with the reflected light of the galaxies surrounding him.

“Actually, I believe there is…”

“We can figure this out… we can fix everything, I’m sure of it!” Ben wiped away a tear.

“My Omnitrix has been broken tons of times, and it’s always worked out alright before.”

“I would like the recent changes I made, to the Omnitrix and to myself, to be undone. I want to be human again, and for the Omnitrix to be whole, both my Omnitrix and Ben’s.”

“And why do you want that?” Bellicus asked.

“Because I love Ben. Because I want to stay by his side for as long as I can. Because I’ve finally made up my mind. My broken Omnitrix reflected myself, a shifting mess of uncertain ideals and hopeless desires. The only constant my ever changing goals and my self-inflicted misery. But I don’t want to be that way anymore. I know who I am. Because of Ben.”

“Oh Bellicus! They’re in love!” Serena said joyfully.

“One lesser life form loves another lesser life form. What’s it to me?” Bellicus said.

“I propose we hold a vote!” Serena called out cheerily. “To fulfil Albedo’s request and let him change back.”

“One for.” Serena said.

“One against.” Bellicus said sternly. “All three of us need to be in agreement before we can take action, that’s how it works.”

Albedo raised an eyebrow. “Do I have your vote secured Serena?”

“You do.”

“Then please allow me to convince you, Bellicus.” He continued.

“Just as there is balance between the two of you, there is balance between Ben and myself. Ben is prone to excessive kindness, much like Serena. I am prone to fits of anger and jealousy, much like yourself. We belong together. Just as you two belong together.”

“I don’t care if you belong together of not, why should I let you leave?”

“You’re so cruel, Bellicus!” Serena cried.

“Because this also applies to the battlefield. And as a fellow voice of anger and aggression you will understand that my presence there is necessary.” Albedo said. “As I said before, Ben is excessively kind. I am not. I understand the battlefield in a way that he most likely never will. I will do what needs to be done.” Albedo gestured to where the Omnitrix usually sat on his wrist. “And with the power of the Omnitrix behind me, it will be a sight to behold.”

Bellicus looked at Albedo with curiosity. “One for.”

“One for!” Serena said.

Albedo looked between them before realizing they were waiting for his vote. “One for.”

“Your request has been granted.” Serena and Bellicus said in perfect unison.

Alien X disappeared and Albedo dropped from the air to land comfortably in Ben’s arms, whole and human again.

“You’re not a fool!” Albedo burst out, while still clinging tightly to Ben. “I’m a fool! I’m the biggest fool in the universe.”

Ben returned the hug in a stunned silence.

“I’m so sorry I said all those things, I’m sorry I did all those things too. I was wrong.”

“It’s ok already, Albedo. I forgive you.” Ben said, laughing. “It’s getting kinda hard to breathe with you squeezing me so hard!”

Albedo let go.

“I’m just glad you’re back.” Ben said, and gave him a short but passionate kiss.

“Hey… the watch is back!” He said as he noticed the Omnitrix back on his wrist, safe and sound.

Albedo’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance as Ben called it ‘the watch’, but he ignored it in favour of pointing out that his own was whole again.

“We should really help out Gwen and Kevin.” Ben said, looking over his shoulder at the fight.

“So what happened to the Omnitrix, why was the dial missing?” Ben asked, once they took down Zombozo.

“I took it off myself. I don’t know why I did it, it defies all logic.” Albedo said. “I knew it would potentially put me in danger. But I still did it, and for no reason whatsoever.”

“You’re beginning to sound…”

“I know. I’m beginning to sound human, aren’t I?” Albedo said. “I managed to turn myself back, and then I immediately went and destroyed myself because I wanted to be human again. I am truly such a fool.” He said, smiling.

“You sound almost happy about it.” Ben teased.

“I am happy.” Albedo said. “I am…” He leaned forward and kissed Ben gently on the lips. “…so very happy.”

The next morning, Ben woke up to the sound of Albedo, laughing.

He checked the living room, and found Albedo laughing hysterically at the TV, featuring some program with an orange polka-dotted clown.

“You know, they really are very funny when they’re not trying to kill you.” Albedo said, wiping away a tear.

Ben made a face. “Ehh, it’s still not exactly my thing.”

Albedo turned off the TV. “That’s alright. Because there’s something else here that I think you’ll like much better!”

He stood up, sidled up to Ben, and kissed him. This time it was long and passionate.

“I love you.” He said pressing his forehead to Ben’s. And went for another kiss.

“I love you.” Ben said as soon as his mouth was free.

“Are you sure this time? Or do you have to think about it?”

“I know I love you.” Ben said, and leaned in for another kiss.

“Even though it was a relatively small time we were apart, you wouldn’t believe how much I missed your touch.” Albedo said.

“Oh yeah? How much?” Ben asked, teasingly.

“There’s no way I’m going to tell you that!” Albedo said behind half-lidded eyes. “But maybe I can show you…”

“I like the sound of that.” Ben whispered into Albedo’s ear.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like what I do here you can follow me on twitter @Writer_Monster or on my tumblr where I’m writer-monster


End file.
